• Forest Inventory Resources - Back to Top

Tree Grading

• U.S. Forest Service Tree and Log Grading Rules
• A Key for the Forest Service Hardwood Tree Grades

• Forest Inventory and Sampling - Back to Top

USDA Forest Service - Timber Cruising Handbook (pdf)

Forest Inventory Definitions (USDA Forest Service - FIA):  A-H  I-P  Q-Z

Textbook References

• Avery, T.E., and H.E. Burkhart. 2001. Forest Measurements. McGraw Hill.
• Husch, B., T.W. Beers, and J.A. Kershaw. 2002. Forest Mensuration. Wiley. 456 p.
• West, P.W. 2003. Tree and Forest Measurement. Springer. 179 p.
• Shiver, B.D., and B.E. Borders. 1995. Sampling Techniques for Forest Resource Inventory. Wiley, New York, NY. 368 p.

• General GIS Resources - Back to Top      
  

ESRI ArcGIS Support – http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=homepage.homepage

ESRI ArcScripts – http://arcscripts.esri.com/

KY Geological Survey Geospatial Data Library –  http://www.uky.edu/KGS/gis/kgs_gis.htm

Kentucky Geography Network – http://kygeonet.ky.gov/

• GIS Files for Project Property - Back to Top

•   GIS Tutorials and Tips - Back to Top   

ArcMap Tutorial from ESRI

ArcMap 9.x Introductory Tutorial - University of Arkansas

Tip #1 - Creating and Editing Shapefiles (points, lines, and polygons)

Tip #2 - Editing Data Attribute Table

1. In layer window, right-click on desired layer, select Open Attribute Table
2. In the attribute table window, select Options → Add Field...
3. Enter field Name
4.  Select data type (i.e. text, number, ect)
5. Edit field properties if needed
6. Press OK
7. To add text or data to new field follow directions outlined above for Edit existing field(s)

Instructions (powerpoint presentation)

DNRGarmin GPS Application http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mis/gis/tools/arcview/extensions/DNRGarmin/DNRGarmin.html

Download waypoints from GPS:

1. Plug sync cable into the computer then into GPS unit.
2. Open DNR Garmin Software
3. Select: GPS → Set Port  → Port 5 (Port 1 not when using USB adaptor)
4. Select:  GPS → Open Port
5. Select: GPS → Units  → Feet
6. Select: File → Set Projection  → Select ESRI → Datums/Projections → NAD_1983_StatePlane_Kentucky_FIPS_1600_Feet
7. Press OK
8. Select: Waypoint or Track → Download
9. Highlight points or tracks you want to download
10. Select: File → Save to → Select Save as type “ArcView Shapefile (Projected) (*.shp)” → Enter File Name  → Press Save

Upload waypoints to GPS:

1. Plug sync cable into the computer then into GPS unit.
2. Open DNR Garmin Software
3. Select: GPS → Set Port  → Port 5 (Port 1 not when using USB adaptor)
4. Select:  GPS → Open Port
5. Select: GPS → Units  → Feet
6. Select: File  Load From  File…
7. Select shapefile and choose open.
8. Change Identity or Comment fields using data from shapefile and choose OK.
9. Choose OK in pop-up window, points should appear in DNR data table.
10. Select: Waypoint  Upload

Tip #4 - Generating Forest Inventory Sampling Grids using Hawth's Analysis Tools for ArcGIS

Instructions (powerpoint presentation):

1. Select View → Toolbars → HawthsTools
2. Open “HawthsTools” from Toolbar
3. Select Sampling Tools
4. Chose either “Generate Random Points” or  “Generate Regular Points”
5. For “Generate Random Points”
1. Select layer from pulldown menu
2. If desired, check “Prevent points from occurring in the polygons of this layer” and select that layer using pulldown menu.
3. If desired, check “Enforce minimum distance between points” and enter that distance.  Distance is in the same units as the layer projection.  For the case of the State Plane Coordinate System, NAD83, Kentucky Single Zone (U.S. Survey Foot) projection distance is in feet
4. Use toggle buttions to select type of sampling design and enter the number of randiom points desired.  For “Stratified sampling designs” you must select a “Polygon unique ID field” from pulldown menu.  This is not necessary for “Unstratified sampling design”
5. Enter output Shapefile name
6. Press OK
6. For “Generate Regular Points”
1. Select “Extent Same as this layer” from pulldown menu
2. Enter “Point Spacing”.  Spacing is in the same units as the layer projection.  For the case of the State Plane Coordinate System, NAD83, Kentucky Single Zone (U.S. Survey Foot) projection we are using the point spacing is in feet
3. Select “Alignment of alternating rows” using toggle buttons.
4. Enter New Shapefile name
5. Press OK

For additional help on Hawth's Analysis Tools for ArcGIS please refer to this website: http://www.spatialecology.com/htools/tooldesc.php

Tip #5 - Shapefile Data Management: Clip, Buffer, Intersect, Union, Dissolve, Append, and, Merge Tools

Clip -  This process creates a new layer by using a polygon layer (or selected polygons in that layer) as a cookie cutter on a point, line, or polygon theme. The output layer will only contain data from the layer you're clipping. The  layer used as a cookie cutter is only used to define the clipping boundary. You might use the boundary of your study area to clip a  layer of roads or clip the streams which extend the boundary of the forest.  You could also use this tool to clip the sampling points shapefile generated by Hawth's Tools so points are limited to the extent of the property or stand boundry.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Analysis Tools
3. Then, select Extract  → Clip
4. In Clip window, select input features, clip features, and define output dataset name
5. Press OK

Buffer -  Creates buffer polygons to a specified distance around the Input Features. An optional dissolve can be performed to remove overlapping buffers.  Negative distances can be used when buffering polygon features, to create buffers on the inside of the polygon features. Using a negative value will shrink the output polygon feature by the distance specified. Examples of what this tool can do include: buffers around roads or points, stream side buffers, or negative buffer around a property/stand boundry to ensure that sampling points (generated by Hawth's Tools) are inside the boundry by a specified distance.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Analysis Tools
3. Then, select Proximity  → Buffer
4. In Clip window, select input features, define output feature, and define distance (+ or -)
5. Press OK

Intersect - Computes a geometric intersection of the Input Features. Features or portions of features which overlap in all layers and/or feature classes will be written to the Output Feature Class.  This process is similar to clipping a layer, except it preserves only those features falling within the spatial extent common to both layers. The features of the input layer are intersected or sliced by the intersect layer. The attribute data from both  layers are included in the new layer's attribute table. You could use a layer of flood zones to intersect a layer of land parcels.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Analysis Tools
3. Then, select Overlay  → Intersect
4. In Intersect window, select input datasets and define output dataset name
5. Press OK

Union -  Union creates a new layer by combining two polygon  layers. The new layer has data and shapes from both  layers, including their intersection. In fact, union differs from intersect only by the fact that all the features of both  layers are included in the resultant layer, including those features that did not overlap.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Analysis Tools
3. Then, select Overlay  → Union
4. In Union window, select input datasets and define output dataset name
5. Press OK

Dissolve - Aggregates features based on specified attributes.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Data Management Tools
3. Then, select Generalization  → Dissolve
4. In Dissolve window, select input datasets and define output dataset name
5. Press OK

Append - Appends multiple input dataset into an already existing target dataset. Input datasets can be point, line or polygon feature classes, tables, rasters or raster catalogs.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Data Management Tools
3. Then, select General  → Append
4. In Append window, select input datasets and define target dataset name
5. Press OK

Merge - Combines input features from multiple input sources (of the same data type) into a single, new, output feature class. The input data sources may be point, line, or polygon feature classes or tables.

1. Open Arc Toolbox by pressing the Toolbox Icon   
2. In Toolbox Window, select Data Management Tools
3. Then, select General  → Merge
4. In Merge window, select input datasets and define output dataset name
5. Press OK

Tip #6 - Adding a new or updated AREA field (i.e. calculate acres of polygon units) in the attribute table using Hawth's Analysis Tools for ArcGIS

1. Select View → Toolbars → HawthsTools
2. Open “HawthsTools” from Toolbar
3. Select “Table Tools” → “Add Area/Perimeter Fields to Table”
4. Select: “Polygon feature layer” from the pulldown menu
5. Because of the projection we are using is State Plane Coordinate System, NAD83, Kentucky Single Zone (U.S. Survey Foot) the output will be in ft².  To calculate acres, check the Convert Area Units checkbox and enter 0.000022957 in the box.  This conversion factor is the number of acres in a square foot (1/43,560 = 0.000022957).
6. Press “OK”

For additional help on Hawth's Analysis Tools for ArcGIS please refer to this website: http://www.spatialecology.com/htools/tooldesc.php

Tip #7 – Joining forest inventory data with ArcGIS shapefiles.  Works the same for points or polygons.

1.      Make sure the forest inventory data in the Excel table and the ArcMap layer (point, polygon) have a common identification field that describes the same features.  For example, a field named “Plot Number” in the excel table and in the GIS layer attribute table.

2.      In Excel, highlight the range of data you want to use in ArcGis

3.      Then Select File → Save As, Enter File Name, and select “DBF 4 (DBASE IV) from the “Save as type” pulldown menu

4.      Press Save

5.      Press OK to the first popup message and Yes to the second.

6.      To Join the saved table to an ArcGIS layer attribute table, Open ArcGIS and add the DBF 4 file to the project by using the Add Data toolbar button

a.       Right click on the layer to which you want to join an external table and point the cursor to 'Joins and Relates' and then from the drop down menubar select 'join...', a dialog box will appear. Open the source table (external database or table) and the destination tables .

b.      Choose what do you want to join to this layer (in this case select 'join attributes from a table').

c.       Choose the common field in the destination table(the one you wish to join information to) from the drop down menubar.

d.      Choose the table to join to this layer from the drop down menu bar.

e.       Choose the  field in the table (which you intend to join to the destination table or the source table) to base the join on from the drop down menu bar.

f.        Click OK.

g.       Open the destination table to see the join based on the common field selected in the destination and source table in the above steps.

7. You can also remove the Join at a later time
1. Right click on the layer to which a join has been made and point the cursor to 'Joins and Relates' and then from the drop down menubar select 'Remove join(s)' and finally click on the table you want to disjoin or select 'Remove All Joins' to remove all the joins.